Device for sharpening cutlery



June 28, 1 949. w, FLEMlNG 2,474,623

DEVICE FOR SHARPENING CUTLERY Filed Feb. 7, 1948 5 m l H INVENTOR.

- W/LL/AM E. FLEMING AGENT vices, and particularly like base member, iindicatd Patented June 28 1949 This invention relate tithe-tiers which employs a ammals-Jae mm of an abrasive c atedftene.

s primary Qbjept visionofrahimprd n i lery and one employ nga tape.

A iurther oble'ct of ts time 1PM visionlof ai'elativelyssi f, which may'pe'prodn'ce owcoit 1 Other andgfurflihe r invention will ,be e inrthe'artupone ooiisid 'j edrawmesansrm gs oniisithe in is disclosed a the ninventionflwrith a j that suchchanges '4 within the scnbeolftli dep t gtrom thespiritoftthei (In said drawings; 7 Fi ure 1 is .a view in m1 is sharpening device constructed. a preferred embodimefitqf trit' Figure 2 is a view in sharpening device she iQureB savieW on thelinefifi Fig r i-p gin seem along the line 4-4 of'Tlgiifli'Qi ans Eigure 5 .is a

wiewiindohgitudim in section similar tWFigureB, but shows the device as t pp s when Referring now totheadrawingsflin which a boxat illlsihas hingedly secured, at one end MW ber indicated atili *ll helbnflc :is Dreferably formed from sheet metal with abottom wall 13, upwardly extending 4 and wall Wat-onevend thereof. mam wands-QM- erably welded -er-otherwisepdmfehentlyi along itswertieal edges, to acent l l the side wall portions H. The portionsvof these side walls, opposite the end wall l5, are cut in the shape shown to provide spaced ears I6 and 11. These ears are apertured, as at II, to receive a bolt Hi, this bolt being secured in position by the wing nut 2|.

A portion of the bottom wall l3, generally between the ears l6 and I1, is bent upwardly at right angles to the bottom, as shown at '22, for purposes which will hereinafter become more aphas er Ill tween :theIside walls of the base member and is of sum to eng a d bi d seamen r05 anabmsive .teateditape as *bethe walls =15 and M of the base and I abraiiive tape is preterably "in roll form with :the roll 34c mounted on the "hinge pin 4 A sub ei this abrasive tape, "comtithe 'adtual cutting prsharpening surface, tavern-(agent wall 18 theupper thieinber.

pf ithe top wall is 'vbQIl't -down watery eentheiside walhportions 2 9 and '30 sotemisn-appemtmemg member, and-this member, extending entirely :between the side walls?!) and 3D, is .so positioned so 'friotiona'll-y engage h bi 6f th lower :liinder'm mber 1 2 when the and members are closed together-Les i-inl' ie u es 1 and rltgsfhouldibemotdtthatitheilowerbinding membrn #does en relyibetweemthe side ibiitiinstea as sses-mayhem each wail, a fiigune :4, to --permit the side averse: and Maori the top member to pass downwardly vthesebetween. 'fl hese side "walls of 'thmzed "member are matched rout, as sheet set 16, tfo engage the supper side of the abrasive tape tightener.

Installation of an abrasive tape in my improved sharpening device is as follows. The tape 34 is unwound from the roll 340 as needed, and with base and top opened as in Figure 5, is passed upwardly between the binding members 28a, and 22 of the top and base members respectively.

The strip is then passed downwardly beneath the tightener 25 and up through a slot 36 in the top wall 28 of the upper member. From this point 23 and 24 are of such length and are so positioned t that the roller is engaged wi-thinthe notches 3535 at approximately the same time that the end wall member 3| starts to enter the base at which time the loose end of the tape will become securely bound therebetween.

The abrasive tape is also bound or clamped" the free end of the tape is secured. It may now be understood that, as the top member I2 is forced downwardly between the walls of the base H, the roller 25 is also forced downwardly in its guide slots and thus serves to remove all slack from the portion 34b of the abrasive tape and holds it taut during use.

The base is provided with holes, as at 39, through which wood screws may be mounted to secure the entire unit to the surface of a work tableor the like.

I have provided a tool which is. well adapted for use in sharpening and maintaining a keen cutting edge on most types of cutlery and particularly butcher knives and other tools of similar nature.

A sharpening device such as I have herein described is adapted to be manufactured at relatively low cost. The abrasive surface is readily renewed and the device is particularly eifective in tightening the abrasive tape, thus prolonging its useful life. I

Although I have described a specific embodiment of my invention, it is apparent that modifications thereof 'may be made by those skilled in the art. Such-modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention: g.

1. In a cutlery sharpening device, a base member, a top member hingedly attached thereto adjacent one end thereof, an abrasive tape tightener comprising a member rotatably mounted in the base member, positioned transversely thereof and engageable by the top member to be forced downwardly thereby, an abrasive tape having a portion thereof looped downwardly beneath. the tightener, extending lengthwise over the upper surface of the top member and having portions thereof frictionally engaged between adjacent end 4 portions of the top and base members adjacent opposite ends thereof.

2. In a cutlery sharpening device, a base member, a top member engageable therewith, an abrasive tape tightener comprising a member rotatably mounted in the base member, positioned transversely thereof and engageable by the top member to be forced downwardly thereby when the top memberis engaged with the base member, anabrasive tape having a portion thereof looped downwardly beneath the tightener, ex-

tending lengthwise over the upper surface of the -top member andv having portions thereof fric tionally engaged between adjacent end portions of the top and base members adjacent opposite ends thereof.

3. Ina cutlery'sharpening device, a base member, a top member engageable therewith, an abrasive tape tightener'disposed between the top and base members andtransverse thereto, an abrasive tape having a portion thereof looped downwardly beneath .the tightener, extending lengthwise over the upper surface of the top member and having portions thereof frictionally engaged between adjacent end portions of the top and base members adjacent opposite ends thereof.

4. In a device for sharpening cutlery, a base member, a top member engageable therewith, an abrasive tape having a portion thereof overlying the top surface of the top member, means engaging and gripping said tape at points adjacent opposite ends of the said top surface of the top member, and a tightener comprising a transversely disposed member spaced from the top surface of the top member engaged with a portion of the abrasive tape between said engaging means, said tightener being operable by relative I movement of top and base members.

5. In a device for sharpening cutlery, a base member, including upstandingside walls, a top member hingedly mounted on said base member, a tightener vertically movable relative to said base member and disposed between the side walls thereof, the top member having depending side walls engageable with said tightener, an abrasive tape overlying said top member and having a portion thereof engaged by said tightener, and means for gripping said tape on opposite sides of the portion thereof engaged by the tightener, said gripping means and said tightener being operable by hinging movement of the top member toward the base member.

WILLIAM E. FLEMING.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenlces are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,197,224 Peterson Apr. 16, 1940 2,248,884 McAdams July 8, 1941 2,252,190 McAdams Aug. 12, 1941 

